GRASS GIS Review

PROS: First of all, it's an open-source--this fact in itself already makes Grass worth checking into. Another reason that I love it is its editable scripts that can be configured to my needs.

CONS: It can be difficult to navigate--but hey, it's free.

PROS: First of all, the installation process was quick and relatively pain-free. I did, however, hit some snags in trying to learn it. Still, I find Grass fun to use for mapping and geospatial analysis. It gives me access to features that make my job a whole lot easier. It also offers plugins for those who need a more sophisticated map analysis.

CONS: Learning this program had been an uphill climb, but it was fun nonetheless. It's simplicity, however, leaves plenty of room for improvement and upgrades.

PROS: This is an indispensable program in my line of work. I love its simple and intuitive design. Plus, it doesn't take up too much storage space. Other GIS analysis tools like ArcGIS can be quite bulky.

CONS: I have to admit--getting a feel of the program and finally understanding all of its features did take some time. However, once you power through the steep learning curve, I'm sure that you'll love using this as much as I do. It integrates smoothly with some of the other programs that I use too.

PROS: I love just how easily Grass can process all common GIS formats such as vector and raster. Its hydrologic modeling tools 3D rendering tools are quite impressive too. Most importantly, Grass fosters such a welcoming and all-inclusive community of users and developers.

CONS: It's an open-source platform, which means that I can't really expect their customer support to be as present and responsive to my specific needs.

PROS: Grass GIS is a straightforward and simple GIS tool. I find the current version reliable and packed with a substantial amount of features that I all find useful. It hasn't given me much headache when it comes to its integration with other programs as well. For one, I can easily transfer images to and from the program. In fact, I've even grabbed a few photos from Google Earth Pro for manipulation, and I've been consistently successful in doing this so far. It's a very stable program that has yet to let me down--great job to its developers!

CONS: The only issue I've ever encountered while using the program was during the installation. I had to go through so many hoops just to successfully start using it. Still, it was all worth it in the end because this is a sophisticated and well-designed GIS tool with tons of plugins to boot.

PROS: I'm so impressed by the features included in its toolbox. The program allows me to completely zoom in on the nitty and gritty to view insights on a granular level. Not to mention, its custom 3D imaging has helped me create some of the best visual presentations in my career.

CONS: As is expected from an open-source program, the customer support in Grass isn't really the best. The program itself can be difficult to manage in the first few tries too.

PROS: I've used Grass both by itself and as a plugin for QGIS. I love how in both scenarios, Grass continues to be accessible and truly helpful.

CONS: There's really not much presence of customer support reps. However, there is a solid community of Grass users and developers online.

PROS: I love how it integrates seamlessly with tools such as Q-GIS.

CONS: I have to go through the extra step of using this to gain access to spatial analysis results from Q-GIS.

PROS: Grass GIS is accessible, affordable, and easy to install and use. It is equipped with so many tools that work impressively well with other programs that I use such as EPANET, Google Earth, etc.

CONS: Although it packs an impressive number of features in its toolbox, it still can't quite compare to ArcGis in terms of sheer volume alone. However, it is more affordable than ArcGis and can be more friendly in its integration with other programs too.

PROS: Grass gives me access to all the tools necessary for my work. It allows me to edit and analyze geospatial data very quickly. I love how it is available for a plugin in QGis too. Overall, it's a reliable, accessible, and helpful tool that helps me with my projects.

CONS: The interface can be a bit tricky, but nothing too difficult to handle. The customer service leaves a lot to be desired too, but this is already a given with open source programs.

PROS: The fact that this is an open-source program already makes it a done deal for me. I use it for all things that one does with GIS tools: geospatial evaluation and analysis, image processing, editing, spatial visualizations--you name it. I love how it gives access to a plethora of tools that I need for planning and executing my projects. It also has specialized tools in its toolbox that helps with creating maps and graphics for presentation purposes.

CONS: I've only ever used Argis before so all of my observations and standards will be based on a comparison of the two. With this said, I do admit that Argis is more sophisticated in its presentation features and design. Grass doesn't offer much in terms of creativity and innovation in presentations. This is why I use it mostly for straightforward projects and nothing else.

PROS: Grass handles spatial modeling and visualization very well. With it, we can easily calculate the NDVI and SPI index using a satellite image.

CONS: It can be difficult to handle. It doesn't really have much of an edge from online solutions such as earthexplorer.usgs.gov.

PROS: I think that the best thing about Grass is that it's free. Not to mention, it's easy to install too. To anyone who might run into any issue in its installation, there is certainly no shortage of resources that can walk you through the process online. However, while I was doing my initial research, there had been some off-putting comments saying that this is a difficult tool to learn. Fast forward to a few months of using this and I can say with confidence that this is one of the most intuitive GIS solutions that I've used. It gives me access to a plethora of features. It integrates seamlessly with other analysis tools as well. On top of its analysis features, I also use Grass to translate my GPS data to other formats. This has easily become one of my top go-to solutions for my work.

CONS: Personally, I did not have any issues learning and getting into the rhythm of things with Grass. The same cannot be said for some of my workmates though. This makes it difficult for me to teach people how to make the most of the program. Other than this, I also have a bit of an issue with its geo-database functionality. I feel that it needs to be more powerful and sophisticated.